Why boots on the ground keeps our homelands secure.

This is of course a big ongoing discussion at the moment, should we have boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria and should troops be kept in Afghanistan?

Let me say right now, I am all for our troops being on the ground in the Middle East and not just training boots as there are in Iraq, but fighting boots.

I do understand the points of view family members of troops serving and those who have lost loved ones in combat, hold for not sending them back.

What's the point of fighting over there?Fighting over there doesn't affect us back home!

Just one of the questions and one of the phrases used in the 'No boots' on the ground camp.

Unfortunately everything happening over there has an impact on us back home and the point? Well read on and you will find out.

Since the London bombings on 7th July 2005 there have been eight successful terrorist attacks in the UK. Two out of these eight attacks were carried out by Islamic terrorists.Since the attack in New York on the Twin Towers on 11th September 2001 there have been 43 successful terrorist attacks in the USA, all carried out by Islamic terrorists.In both countries there have been hundreds of prevented, failed or aborted terrorist attacks.

But what; I hear you say does all of this have to do with boots on the ground?

If you look at all of the attacks since 9/11 and 7/7 they have all been carried out using low tech weapons, either firearms or edged weapons, and the reasons for this? 'Boots on the ground'.

I call it the 'Reverse WWII prisoner of war effect'Let me explain.During WWII it was the duty of allied prisoners of war to attempt to escape. Escaping from their P.O.W. camp had two aims.1. Repatriation of troops to allied lines and then rejoin the fight.2. To tie up German troops.Thousands of German troops were tied up either guarding camps or hunting escaped prisoners. Thousand of troops who would otherwise be fighting on the front lines, making the job for allied troops that much harder.

Fast forward to Iraq and Afghanistan. UK, US and Coalition troops fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban.In all of those years what was achieved?What was achieved was the only thing that mattered, the protection of our homelands. Not just by fighting the enemy but by what the enemy could not do while engaged by our troops, while they were fighting for their lives. Because our troops were fighting them every day they had no time to train, to train in advanced and high tech weaponry. To formulate and implement an infrastructure enabling them to attack our homelands with this high tech weaponry.

Today with no boots on the ground we not only have the most well funded terrors group but a well funded terrorist army that has a fantastic PR and recruitment system with up to between 80 and 100,000 terrorist personnel and more joining all of the time. Most in Syria with the rest in Iraq. Governments like to say IS have around 30,000 fighters, these though are in Iraq, they tend to forget the ones in Syria.They have a fully operational command and control structure, not a loose conglomerate of factions like we have seen in the past. Now they also have training camps, not only to train new recruits but also to train in high tech weaponry.

With the capture of three Mig type 21 and 23 jet fighters from Syrian airbases, IS will take their fight to the sky. Terrorists started off by being trained by captured Syrian pilots, now they are being trained by Iraqi pilots.

Plus eleven jetliners disappeared from Tripoli Airport after it was overrun by Islamic terrorists.Training on these will be different than the jet fighters, they will only have to take off and aim, they won't need to worry about the landing part of the flight.

IS terrorists are free to train with impunity because there are no boots on the ground.

IS terrorists are free to commit atrocities because there are no boots on the ground.

Future IS terrorist attacks in Western cities will be carried out by highly motivated and well trained terrorists free to train in high tech weaponry, deploy it and use it because there are no boots on the ground.

It's not if, but when a Western country sufferers another 9/11 or 7/7 attack or from an attack using a much more potent weapon such as an CBRN (WMD) weapon and whether you live or die it will just be down to luck, because there are no boots on the ground.

Me, I prefer a fighting chance. Although low tech weapons are still lethal and employ a shock factor when being attacked with machetes and meat cleavers, you have a chance, the choice of staying alive is yours, you can run, hide or fight, but you have a choice and a chance.

The only way to keep terrorists using low tech weapons is by having boots on the ground. Keeping them occupied by fighting for their lives, not training to take our lives.

During the next terrorist attack do you want a fighting chance, or do you want your future left to chance?